Betrayal Among Rivals
by ArashiDumas
Summary: A beautiful woman shoots at Jigen, and his friend takes the bullet for him, a friend who is Goemon’s younger sister. When She and Jigen begin a relationship, what will happen when she decides to move in with Zenigata?
1. Chapter 1

The Only thing concerning the great Lupin is my comics, my pins, my plushies, my actionfigures, and my love for them. They all belong to the great Monkey Punch. --Jaz

I sat on my bed in my room reading a large novel when there was a knock at my

door. "Come in," I called, turning the page.

"Hey," my crush-slash-best-friend, Jigen, said, opening the door and taking a

step in.

I looked up and felt my cheeks grow warm when I saw him. I slammed my book

shut and smiled. "Hello, Jigen."

Jigen grinned back at me. "So..." he drug the word out casually. "We're going

to The Club for dinner, Lupin and me. Would you like to come?" He paused, his

eyes covered by his black rat pack fedora. "Oh, I was supposed to tell you that

Goemon's not going to come."

I laughed. "Oh, the party pooper!" My brother, Goemon, had a bad habit of

bailing on us then it was sure to be a good time. I smiled at Jigen. "I would

love to go with you."

Jigen nodded at me approvingly. "Good." He looked at my outfit--a pair of

jogging pants and a spaghetti strap top. "Before we go, though, The Club is a

ritzy place. You might want to change into something a little," he cleared his

throat, "nicer."

My cheeks grew warm again as I shooed him out. I walked into my closet and

looked through my closet for the perfect dress. I finally decided on a white

one that Goemon had bought for me. It had a V-neck that, if in the right

position, could be very revealing. The straps were white and thin and easily

hidden by my shoulder length hair. But the thing that I liked best about the

dress was that it was like an extra skin, and easy to move around in.

I grabbed a pink jacket and left my room, walking out to Lupin's rolls royce,

where he and Jigen were waiting. I waved good-bye to Goemon as the car pulled

out of the driveway.

Jigen smiled at me. "Well, kiddo, you finallyget to go with us to The Club."

I nodded, putting a grin on my face. "Thanks for inviting me, guys."

Lupin laughed. "Well, you're no replacement ofr Goemon, and you probably can't

drink like him, but you're kinda cute."

I stuck my tongue out at Lupin. "Ya know, Lupin?" I said, eyeing him. "It

wouldn't hurt to be nice to me once in a while. I may just prove to be an

important member of the team."

Jigen nodded at Lupin. "Yeah, Lupin." he smiled a bit at me. "kiddo can help

out a lot. She's really skilled with the dagger, and she can shoot a gun like

me on a fricken' bad day."

He always seemed to make me blush. "You really think I'm that good?" I asked,

Jigen being a perfect shot.

He nodded, patting my shoulder. "You try hard at it, and that's what matters,

kiddo."

I smiled a thanks, but inside I was crying. That's all I was to Jigen. The kis

of the group. Then again, at age 21, I am the youngest, and I could easily be

Jigen's younger sister, seeing as he is 35.

Lupin pulled the car into the parking lot of a nice diner regally named The

Club. Jigen opened the door and let me out of the car.

We got seated at a table that was meant for four. I sat across from Jigen

staring at him over the candle-lit table. He watched the flamanco dancer

flamancoing across the stage. I looked at the dancer. She was beautiful, with

her long black hair pulled into a bun, and rose in her hair. Her dress was red,

slimfitting, long, and she moved easily in it. her green eyes landed on Jigen.

She smiled broadly and winked at him. Jigen blushed a bright color of red.

I glared at Jigen. Lupin looked from me to Jigen to the dancer. He smiled a

bit. "I'm going to go see Fujiko." He pointed to a table where a woman sat

alone.

I nodded. "tell her hi for me." I looked back to Jigen. The woman had thrown

him the rose from her hair. He stuck it in his chest pocket. Something black

and shiny flassed in my eye from the dancers belt. I gasped, looking at Jigen.

"Jigen... Jigen, come out of your transe and listen to me!"

He shook his head and looked up. "Huh? what is it now?" he sounded vey

annoyed.

"She's got a gun!" I whispered loudly.

"So?" he laughed. "I do too."

"I've got a bad feeling about this, Jigen."

"You have a bad feeling about everything, kiddo."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "You just wait. Whenever I have a bad feeling,

something bad happens. You know that, yet you still ignore it." I hadn't

realized that I had been raising my voice.

"Sssshhh, Subari," Jiggen whispered. "People are beginning to stare."

I glared at him. "I don't care!" I sighed. "I'm going to go see Fujiko. See

ya later."

The song ended as Jigen nodded. He clapped as the dancer walked off stage. I

glanced at her as she, (with a smile, might I add) pulled out a gun and aimed it

quickly at Jigen. I heard the gunshot and before I knew what I was doing, I

jumped in front of my best friend. The bullet didn't hurt as much as I thought

it would as it went into my left shoulder, and before I knew it, I was on the

ground in a pool of blood which I guessed was mine.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

I think I fell asleep, because when I opened my eyes again, I saw Jigen on one side of me and Goemon on the other.

"Subari!" they said together, one in relief, one in terror.

"Hi," I whispered, surprised to hear my voice.

"Don't 'hi' me, young lady," Goemon scolded. "How could you do such a stupid thing? jumping in front of a bullet like that?" he looked like he was going to strangle me.

Jigen held him back. "Hold it, Goemon." He pulled my brother away from the hospital bed. "You're always talking about nobility and that shit. Well, I'm no expert, but What Subari just did was the most friggen noble thing anybody can do. She risked her life to save mine. So lay off...Old Man."

I smiled weakly at him. "Thanks, Jigen."

He nodded. Goemon sighed. "Look, Ari. I'm glad you're okay. Just don't do anything stupid like that again."

I pinky promised as he patted me on the head and walked out. I sat up and looked at Jigen. He had a guilty look on his face. "Say it," I laughed.

He looked up. "Say what?"

"Say it. You know you'll feel better once you do."

A grin flashed on his face. "Okay, okay." He met my eyes with his. "You were right, Ari. I should have listened to you." He came over to the bed and hugged the best he could. I hugged him back. "Forgive me?" He asked.

I laughed and nodded. "Of course, silly."

He smiled. "Good." He turned to leave, then stopped. "I'll be back later Kid--Ari. See ya." He kissed my cheek, tipped his hat to me, then left. My cheek grew warm as I touched it, my smile growing.

I leaned back against the pillow, turning the TV on. I watched a few shows until about an hour later, when the door opened. I glanced up, stifeling a laugh. Lupin walked in, carrying a stack of wobbeling books that reached his chin. He sat the books down next to the bed with a smile. "In case you get bored," he said.

I smiled back. "Thanks, Lupin."

He nodded. "Thank Jigen. He collected them."

"Well, thanks for bringing them."

He looked at me. "Look, Subari. I'm sorry if i made you feel like you weren't one of us. You proved to us tonight that you are a big member of our team. We're about to get a new job that I believe will need Jigen's excellent shot for it, because you know Pops will be on ud like flies to a peice of shit."

I giggled. "It's okay, Lupin. I get that alot." I gave him a smile of reassurance. "Look, don't worry about it. I did what I did because--" I stopped, not saying it.

"Why did you do it, Subari?" Jigen asked, walking in.

Lupin and I turned to look at him. Lupin walked to the door. "I'll be leaving now. Enjoy the books."

I nodded, giving him another smile as he left. I picked up a book, burrying my head in it, hiding from Jigen.

"What are you doing?" he asked, pulling the book away, slamming it shut.

I tried ti grab it back, but he kept pulling it farther away from me. "I _was_ trying to read." I leaned once more for the book, and fell out of the hospital bed. I whimpered, rubbing my back.

Jigen's eyes grew wide. He dropped the book in the middle of the floor, scrambling towards me. He picked me up. "Subari! I'm so sorry." He laid me back in the bed.

"Thanks, I--"

"You still didn't answer my question. No, don't give me that confused look. You know what question I'm talking about. Why did you take that bulletfor me?"

I sighed, not meeting his eyes. "Because. You're my best friend."

He put his hand under my chin, pulling my face up so my eyes were gazing into his. "Really?" He asked, his voice silky, his black eyes searching mine. I blinked away. "Because I thought--and hoped--that it was for another reason."

My eyes shot back to him, getting wide. Jigen! This is Jigen telling me this! Mental slap. He's probably toying with me, the way he always does. So I lied. "No, Jigen, that was my reason."

He nodded, turning away from me. "Okay. I just hoped." he opened the door. "See ya later, Ari."


	3. Chapter 3

"Crap Crap Crap!" The inspector shouted, running down the hall. We could hear his loud footsteps. He came in, looking at Goemon and I, adjusted his hat and sat calmly down behind his desk, suddenly very professional. It was odd not to see him running after us trying to put us behind bars. "Miss Ishikawa," he said, looking through some messy, unfilled papers that looked like they had jelly and powdered sugar spilled on them. "We got the analysis of your blood tests back, and it seems that their was the slightest traces of poison on the bullet. Not a lethal dose or anything, though. It should be out of your system by now…" He paused looking through the papers. Now, I need your account of what happened that night."

I sighed, having given the report over a dozen times. "Pops! Not again!"

"Sorry, Ari. I need it again."

"Jigen, Lupin and I went to The Club. Lupin went to talk to Fujiko. The lady was dancing on stage, and I said that she had a gun. Jigen told me to stop making a scene, went back to making goo-goo eyes at the lady, and then she pulled out the gun, smiled, and fire. I must have jumped in front of it, and the next thing I know I'm in a puddle of blood. I woke up in a hospital bed with my brother about to kill me. Any questions?"

"Calm down, Subari," Goemon said in his monotone voice.

"Miss Ishikawa, may I speak with you alone?"

My brother glared at him, then finally nodded, relinquishing his place next to me for a new one outside the office door.

The inspector stared at me with sympathetic eyes. "Miss Ishikawa"

"Please, it's Subari, Inspector"

"And I'm Koichi." We both laughed a bit, then quieted into an uneasy silence.

"What was it you needed to talk to me about"

"I want you to do something for me." The inspector rested his feet on his desk. "I want you to give me a call if you ever need anything…. Anything at all, alright" He held out a business card to me.

I took it. "Alright." I stood and left quietly.

The bench I sat on was cold as my trembling fingers dialed the numbers typed up on the inspector's business card.

"Zenigata, please" I told his secrtary.

"May I ask who's calling"

"Subari. Tell him it's urgent."

A few seconds later, Zenigata's gruff voice came over the line. "Where are you? Are you in trouble"

"Koichi, we got in a stupid little fight, but I got scared and ran. Can you help me find a place to stay"

"Of course I can" his voice as soft. "Where are you, Ari"

I quickly gave him my location and hung up the phone.

About ten minutes later, his tan Oldsmobile pulled up in front of the bench I sat on. He didn't look at me as I got in, keeping his eyes focused on whatever was ahead of him.

"Thank you" I said quietly.

"It's fine" he replied, pulling off of the curb. He drove for a few minutes in silence, then finally pulled into a drive way. "Here's the deal" he said. "I have an apartment over my garage. You take good care of it, make sure everything's dusted and whatnot-and you can stay there. Good"

I nodded eagerly, resisting the urge to hug him tightly. He grabbed my duffel and led me up the stairs into my new home.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

I walked into my apartment over Koichi's garage cautiously, lugging the three large bags of groceries with me. The door had been already unlocked, which I found odd, as I always locked it.

"Hello?" I called softly, setting the bags down. I padded into the main room, smirking a bit when I saw Koichi lounging on the couch, a beer in his hand, feet on the coffee table, fixed on the American football game being played on the T.V. screen. "Koichi, you have your own T.V. in your own house. Why must you insist on watching over here and scaring me out of my wits?"

"Hello there, pretty lady," he sputtered. "How much do I owe you?"

"I'm not your prostitute, Koichi," I grinned, going back to lug the bags into the kitchen. "Why're you drunk on my couch?"

"I'm not drunk!" The inspector protested, his expression turning from downright humorous to solemn. "This was my only one." He stood, turning the T.V. off, taking groceries out of the bags. I began putting them into the refrigerator. "Ari," he finally said, "I'm leaving."

"What?" I asked, spinning on my heels to look at him. "Koichi, where are you going?" I knew where he was going; the whole reason I had moved in with him was to keep him from going there…

"we got another letter from Lupin. He's going after the Princess Sophia on her maiden voyage. There's supposed to be a big emerald on board." He sighed and looked over at me. "I'll be back soon." He touched me shoulder lightly and then began to walk out, intending to leave the tension between us.

"Pops, don't go!"

He turned back to me, a questioning look on his face. "Ari?"

"You can't go."

"It's my job. I don't want to…"

"No, Pops, you don't get it; Lupin is getting careless in his old age."

"That doesn't matter, Subari. It's still my job, and I have to do it."

I sighed, moving over to the couch, slumping down to it. "Please don't leave."

"Why not?" He sat down next to me. "What are you hiding from me?"

"When I came here…Two months ago." I whispered quietly. "Jigen and I…We didn't have a fight. We couldn't…We were…in love, I guess."

"And…?"

"Lupin told me that the next heist he was planning would be a dangerous one. He didn't want you following him. So he sent me as a decoy so that you would stay with the 'poor helpless girl' and not try to capture him."

"You lied to me?"

"I didn't want to! I didn't want to leave…I mean, Jigen and my relationship had just begun…it was getting better all the time, and I wanted to stay with him…Coming here…I thought it would be worse than hell…But…"

"But what? You don't want to be here, so go back to your little hitman and call it a day. A failure." He shouted.

"Inspector!" I shouted back, jumping up to face him. "It's true I didn't want to come and that I came because it was for the good of the team. But that's not the reason I want to stay anymore!"

"Why then? To torment me more?"

"No! I didn't expect-"

"Didn't expect what?"

"Inspector…" I sighed, quieting down. "I thought I was head over heels for Jigen. But when I initially came here…I didn't expect to fall in love with you. My crush on Jigen was a childish one." I shook my head, looking at the floor, then grabbed my purse, preparing to leave. "Good day, Inspector Zenigata."

"Subari-Ari. Don't go. Let's talk about this…" He pulled me down to the couch by my elbow lightly, stroking my hair with his other hand. Suddenly he kissed me, making me, again, saddened at him leaving.

"Don't go," I whispered again.

"I have to. But you'll see. I'll leave in the morning, take care of Lupin, and be back in a few days. No problems at all. No danger."

"Promise?"

He kissed me again softly. "Promise."

End Chapter 4

A note from Jaz-Wow… Didn't expect that one… oh well, Zenigata's gonna keep leading me where he will. I'm trying to write longer chapters! Tell me what you think-Jaz


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I grinned, running to the door at the sound a few knocks, expecting it to be Koichi. When I opened the large wood door, I was surprised to see the man with the black hat looking back at me.

"Jigen" I said, smiling. "Hey. What's up"

"I'm sorry." He said immediately.

"For what? What's wrong"

"There was a fight with security on the ship. I told Pops to get out of the way, but he wouldn't listen to me. I tried my hardest to keep him out of it, but I accidentally shot him, and he fell over board." Jigen took off his hat. "I'm sorry, Ari. We looked everywhere for him, but we couldn't find him. The ocean carried him off to an early grave…"

"You killed him" I asked in shock, taking a step back. "How could you"

"It was an accident, Ari"

"You don't _accidentally_ shoot the cop that's trying to arrest you! You're a good enough shot to miss him! And yet, it seems to be the target you hit. Do you intentionally try to hurt me" I was hysterical, tears rolling down my face. "How many other guards did you kill"

"None" he said under his breath.

"How many was that"

"None, Ari, he's the only one. But I swear, if I knew you were gonna react like this, I wouldn't have done it. At first, I wanted him back, because I didn't want you to be sad. But then I realized that if he were gone, you might want to come home. And I want you home. We miss you, Ari. We miss you tremendously, so come home to us."

"You think I'm going to go home with a murderer? You're absurd" I slammed the door in his face, leaning up against it before sliding down to the floor, sobbing in my hands.

"Subari, open the door" He yelled.

"No! Go away, you murderer! How dare you kill him, then come back here and try to get me with you! It's inexcusable"

I heard him sigh loudly, then walk slowly off, already on her cell phone. "Yeah, I told her, and she's not taking it so well."


	6. Chapter 6

I sighed and let them go, then after a few seconds of wallowing in self pity, I decided to go out and get some food. I got into my car, driving quickly to the Tastee Freaze close to the apartment. Being as it was a nice day, several people were out walking. I got out of my car, going in and watching couples make goo-goo eyes at each other. I sighed heavily and ordered a burger and some fries. When it came, I took the tray, looking for an empty seat.

"Hello, Subari," came a familiar voice.

I whirled around, dropping the tray. A few whiskers had sprouted on his rectangular face, his tan fedora scooped down over his eyes and the collar of his tan trench coat was flipped up to his chin. "K—Koichi!" I gasped, hugging him tightly. "They….they told me you died!"

"I don't kill easy, Ari. You know that. And besides, I promised I'd be home." He laughed, squeezing me.

"But Jigen said there was a shoot-out and that you went overboard. I was so scared I had lost you…"

"Well, I'm here now. No worries." He released me and reached down to grab my tray and burger, the fries had scattered beyond saving. He took a seat close to him and unwrapped the juicy burger. "Boy am I hungry…" He took a bite, laughed at my scowl, and then gave me a small wink.

END

Yay! I finished it! Right, so, I have a list of what I have to finish…Just a few more! When they're all done, or when I get bored of them, I'll begin writing sequals! And new Fics! Yay! Thank you, my faithful readers! You all rock my SOX!—Love always (And Always loving you)-Jaz


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